Adhesive small intestine obstruction (ASIO) is an important cause of hospital admission and a very common disease. Any improvement in this field will benefit many patients by reducing the operative rate. Patients with this disease are difficult to evaluate and to manage and their treatment is controversial. Emergency surgery is mandatory when strangulation is suspected or in the case of total obstruction. On the other hand, conservative non-operative treatment is indicated in the case of partial obstruction. The role of water-soluble contrast medium (Gastrografin®: GG) in ASIO is still debated with regard to the therapeutic value.

The aim of our study was to determine the therapeutic role of Gastrografin in patients with small intestine obstruction without strangulation caused by adherences (ASIO).

In the control group (TT: Traditional Treatment), the patients have been treated as in our daily surgical practice of traditional conservative treatment for ASIO, consisting in nil per os diet, nasogastric tube (NGT) decompression and intravenous fluid resuscitation therapy with electrolytes imbalances correction.

Eligibility

Ages Eligible for Study:

18 Years and older

Genders Eligible for Study:

Both

Accepts Healthy Volunteers:

No

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

Adult patients (>18 years)

History of previous abdominal surgical procedures

Clinical and radiological evidence of adhesive small intestine obstruction without signs of strangulation and peritonism

ASA I-III patients

Informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

Suspicion of strangulation

Actual presence or high suspicion of intra-abdominal malignancy

Suspicion or history of peritoneal carcinomatosis

active inflammatory bowel disease

Positive history of radiotherapy on the abdominal region

Obstructed hernias

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Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00601809